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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: firm · spell · rest · arm · shower · foot · bulb · row

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. bulb — for light
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. row — a line
  6. foot — a measure
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. row — to paddle
  9. spell — magic
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. rest — a break
  12. shower — to wash
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. bulb — for light
  15. firm — steady
  16. shower — rain
  17. rest — what's left
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. firm — decided
  20. rest — what's left
  21. spell — letters
  22. firm — a company
  23. spell — a short time
  24. bulb — of a plant

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com